V6 versus Trophy - comparison?

[Johnnytheboy]

I'm sure this has been discussed at length before, but how do these two compare? Obviously I could search old posts, but...

I know some people here have owned both, and I'd be interested to know their thoughts.

I'm not going to buy one - I specifically looked for four seat car when I bought the Trophy (my dog goes about with me - he could hardly sit on the engine!)

I understand they're very different cars, but in what way?

The V6 sounds like a lot more of a handful, but on paper at least doesn't seem appreciably quicker, just a lot thirstier :lol:

Particularly the 255 looks the business, and they all sound great, but it's still £30k (new) for a Renault Clio....

I suspect if I owned one, I'd have driven it backwards into a bush by now; I'm no RWD master

 

[oliie]

Johnny - I don't think it is the ability to handle RWD as it is about the experience of handling a high placed mid-engine with a large rear weight balance.

My understanding from personal conversations is that it is a great car but unpredicatable at the limit. And once the rear end slides out, you have to deal with Newton's finest (Newton normally wins and decides to spin the car round in a victory).

Personally I'd buy the Trophy over the V6 as the only thing you really lose out on with the Trophy is visual impact and straight line speed.

Otherwise the Trophy is more practical, more spacious, easier to handle at the limit and is proving to be a better buy from a financial perspective (% retained value and £ lost over the first year of ownership).

I would be interested in track times between the two cars driven by a singular competent driver in similar situations.

These are of course all my personal opinion based upon conversations with V6 owners

Cheers
O.

 

[Steve]

I will always love Renaultsport for building the Trophy, but I will always have the utmost respect for Renaultsport for building the V6. Twice.

Both awesome cars, both similar performance, straight line or track-wise, the difference is in the delivery.

And as for kerb appeal, well. My car gets glances from the occasional car enthusiast and boy racer. The V6 gets glances from everyone.

 

[Lee G]

I used to have a V6 255 and I can catagorically say that for everyday use the Trophy is quicker and more fun.

Notwithstanding the above, the V6 is a pretty special animal and deserves serious respect. I really miss my old Vee to the point of actually considering buying another one to run along side the Trophy - for weekends and that kind of thing 8)

 

[cardealer]

If I had a V6255 to keep I'd tune it to beyond 300bhp and fit Recaros to lower the seating position. The chassis is far better than the performance so the new combination would be getting there. To me they are only dangerous if you defy the way to drive, i.e brake before the corner and then drive around and power out, any deviation and you'll be looking at where you came from. I do enjoy booting these uphills! Now they are circa £15000- £16500 they are a good long term proposition.

 

[Steve]

Stick the Nissan/Renault 3.5 litre unit in with the new 350Z GT-S Supercharger bolted on. 380Bhp in a mid-engined Clio! That would be so much fun, out-dragging Porshe 911's on the motorway if nothing else.

I wonder how much this engine conversion would cost and if it's feasible without extensive chassis tweaks and drivetrain upgrades.

 

[touristV6]

With a good driver, the V255 is very, very quick :twisted:

 

[Fred]

straight line the V6 owns the trophy

corners, you just have to know how (i haven't figured it out yet! lol)

 

[chiefbadger]

Have to say, that if I had the money for a run around as well, then I think the Trophy would have already gone in for part ex on a 255. I still jump up and down when I see one. I considered a 230 when I got the Trophy, but I can't live without the back seats!

One day . . . .

n.b - Not that I'm jealous Fred!

 

[chunktrophy]

loved the v6 when i lived at home wi mum and dad, but now im a homeowner its just not a car i could have used everyday. only getting 3k miles out of rear michelins isnt the way forward!!! plus it a car thats hard to drive fast, the trophy makes a bad driver look good!!

Only problem is as has been said, only people who know about cars will look at the trophy, every1 looks at a v6!! plus when the trophy gets to 100-110 it seems to run out of puff a bit, the v6 just kept on pulling!!
that said, i havent had as much fun in a car until i bought the trophy!!

 

[Cue]

on track the trophy is the equal to the V6. on the straights the Vee pulls away but in the bends the Trophy eats all the tarmac back up. Where do you put the shopping???? lol 8)

 

[oliie]

Some good opinions on this thread

 

[Fred]

put a decent driver in a V6 and bye bye trophy/182/172

 

[iain_c]

As said the v6 is quicker in the right hands.
The trophy is quicker for us amatures.
That said the trophy cant beat the feeling/buzz you get from driving the 255

 

[Steve]

put a decent driver in a V6 and bye bye trophy/182/172

As it should with a mid-engined rear drive layout, otherwise what is the point? If the V6 was slower in a straight line than the FWD four cylinder 'normal' Clio, it would be a complete waste of time and no-one would buy one. The fact remains that the 172/182 shows how important keeping the weight down is in a sports car, the 310kg weight penalty of the 255 really slaughters it's power advantage, 0-100mph arriving only half a second sooner than the Trophy! I would estimate that 95% of drivers could extract a faster lap out of a Trophy than a V6, which is probably why it's so popular. An easy, forgiving, predictable car to drive fast, whilst not being any less fun.

P.S. I love the V6, it's an awesome machine.

 

[Johnnytheboy]

With a good driver, the V255 is very, very quick

That's me out then!

Thanks everyone for replying recently, this thread initially kind of flopped

 

[oliie]

Is it fair to say (no personal digs...) that of the people on this site: there are a few who have gone V6 -> Trophy but no one has gone Trophy -> V6?

Or have we lost anyone to a V6? :shock: :? 8) :?:

Just curious...

O.

 

[chunktrophy]

i may go back to a v6 in the future, or am tempted by the megane r26.

(as long as renault dont bring out another f1 edition next year!!!!!)

 

[chunktrophy]

still miss my old v6 though!! would have liked both the trophy and the v6 in the drive!!

 

[Fred]

Slugger had both, greedy git